Going Ballistic with crazy little energy pills

I got these cool drink samples from Drake at beverageboutique.com called Herbn' Love. As an aphrodisiac it sucked, but it tasted decently and... hell - it was called Herb'n Love. When I called the company to see what was up with the drink - it seems they dropped their drink line altogether - concentrating on energy supplements and other pills instead. Makes sense, coming from a company making the bulk of their bread and butter from pharmaceuticals and pi;;s. They now have a bunch of meds that you might have seen lined up in that scary pill section of your local convenience store. They have a hangover remedy, a sleep remedy, a sexual prowess pill, a multivitamin and my favorite, the Ballistic Energy energy supplement - an energy drink's worth of goodies in a small kinda wierd paper lined brown pill.

My first question is this - Why should I take this thing as opposed to just popping a No-Doz or any really cheap caffeine pill? It seems there is some distinct advantages to dropping a couple of these rather than a concentrated caffeine tablet. The most important of which is that there is more than just caffeine in here, and this also has more stuff to get you moving and keep you that way. While it does have a punch of caffeine, it is also loaded with vitamins, herbs, and amino acids - so you can keep your buzz longer.

Nutrition/buzz: 8
I was pretty hesitant to try a pill, especially after all those bad No-Doz, coffee and Mountain Dew experiments in High school and college ( word to the wise, caffeine tablets,  Mountain Dew and Coffee do NOT mix - no matter how hard you try...)   Even the thought of those little pills makes me shudder a bit. Also, pills feel a little like cheating - when you go for the medicine cabinet, it means you have a serious issue. I still wanted the act of drinking something after I took a pill, and I also felt like taking it was not nearly as much fun as drinking a energy drink or even a shot. Popping a pill is over and done without even a notice - and unless you share, you have nothing cool and hip to show them.
I did notice the effects though - and anyone with a pulse will. This stuff is serious - where even if you are not that affected by caffeine, one of the other supplements in here is bound to get you as wired as a wet sparrow on a stripped electric cable. The instructions say to take 1 to 2 pills and stand back. I took a couple, and waited the recommended 20 minutes, and my eyelids slowly peeled back from my skull, and my hair felt a little like it was standing on end. Needless to say it was a very nice uplifting four or so hours.  I then tried it when I was very drowsy at about 5 pm - even worse idea than that college caffeine mix.  I was still bouncing around the room watching Kung-Fu and considering giving the house a paint job at 2 AM.
This beats no-doz by providing about 100mg of caffeine from Gaurana, insead of a lab. this also has Rhodiola ( an adaptogenic herb which helps boost energy and fight fatigue), Ginseng, Theobromine ( a mild stimulant like caffeine - found in chocolate), Taurine, Carnitine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Bioperin® (Black Pepper), a bunch of B complex Vitamins and Calcium. Needless to say this is a very powerful pill - not to be taken lightly or a dozen at a time. I would definitely grab a couple of these before a long car trip than a huge energy drink ( all that peeing) or no-doz. I would put this on par with a GOOD energy shot, something with enough firepower to get you moving and keep you there for hours at a time.

Taste:4
OK - I know what you are thinking - Taste for a pill? But this one definitely has a taste - and not a good one either. I tried knocking the back into my gullet, swalloing with water and just about every other idea - but this one has a very yuck aftertaste. Maybe it is the paper coating on the outsite - maybe it is powder residue on the cap. Either way - there is a definitely noticeable flavor if eccchhh after you swallow. The taste did not deter me from having more, but it is something you dont expect when popping a pill. Also watch out for the ballistic burp breath - quite deadly.

Just anothier word to the wise - DO NOT DO NOT try out the powder inside the pills.  I thought that in interest of science and my readers I would have to try the ingredients by thermselves.  The flavor is so bad, that is what makes the little pills taste bad by themselves - the painfully icky flavor is strong it leeches through the capsule  - like a horrible disease. 

Packaging:3
Some of this packaging I love, some I find a little alarming. Overall, the layout is very nice, and the text, fonts and printin quality are very above expectation. I wish they did more on the back though - as there are lots of things in here which they have inconveniently hidden under a small "proprietary Blend" label which telly you nothing of the amounts of what you are buying this for are. It would be SOOO much better for them as well as for the consuming public to know just how much of this stuff they are putting into themselves. There is not even the hokey information listing of " about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee," which I despise but at least is Something. They list the B complex stuff, but thats it. The warning is the standard for all energy drinks/supplements, and the instructions just tell you to not consume more than 4 capsules in a 24-hour period. I would love something - anything telling people that they should NOT consume more than 4 at a time, as I know some people are going to do.

If you care to try, you can click here free sample of 4 caps - just pay 4 bucks for shipping and handling.